Machine for attaching metallic tags to plug-tobacco



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C WB. MUNNELL.. MACHINE FOR ATTACHING METALLIC'TAGS T0 PLUG TOBACCO. No. 534,370. Patented Feb. 19, 1895.

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No. 534,370. Patentdbeb. 19, 1895.

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No. 534,370. Patent-Qd Feb. 19, 1895.

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MACINB TOR ATTACHINC METALLIC TAGS T0 PLUC TOBACCO.

No. 534,370. Patented Feb. 19, 1895.

vwc-ntoz NITED STATES PATENT OFFIC.

WILLIAM B. MUN N ELL, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERICK H. GIBBS, OF SAME PLACE AND BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR ATTACHING METLLIC TAGS TO PLUG-TOBACCO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,370, dated February 19, 1895.

Application ledyMay 17, 1892.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. MUNNELL, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Attaching Metallic Tags to Plug-Tobacco, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to machines to be used in tagging plug tobacco, and consists in a novel machine for securing the tin name plates or tags to the plugs by means hereinafter more fully described and specifically set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings similar letters and gures of reference denote corresponding parts in allV views Where used.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine.` Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the upper portion of the operative parts of the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the separating hopper and its connected parts. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the hopper show-4 ing the interior thereof taken on line -W- W- of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 3 taken on line -x-x-of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an exterior view of the reticulated drum revoluble within the separating hopper showing also a few of the tags thereupon. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detached View of the felt rollers --N- which bear on the drum l0. Fig. 8 isy an enlarged View, detached, of the magnet carrying disks and magnets with the escapement device at the lower end thereof to control the escape of tags from the tag chutes down which the tags are to pass. Fig. 9 is a detachedl view of a commutator on the shaft with said disks. Fig. 10 is an enlarged top plan View of the tag chute. Fig. 11 is an inverted view of the said chute. Figs. l2 and 13 are sectional' views of said chute taken on lines -y-yand -z-z-.

Commencing at the point where the tags are put into the machine and continuing the description of parts in the order in which they are intended to operate I lwill rst describe the separating hopper, which is composed of the main hopper shell -J- which is meant as a receptacle into which the tags are dumped preparatory to separation. This hopper -J- Serial No. 435,341. (No model.)

side Walls of the hopper shell, and are designated by the reference numerals -l2-. The plates -12- are hinged at opposite sides of Athe shell alternately so that a lot of tags falling on the top plate -12- will be caused to slide from thence to the next lower plate, and so on in the series until they are at last permitted to drop onto a revoluble drum -10- which is made of metal interposed reticulated strips or rings h with openings suciently large to engage the projecting prongs of the tags.

The axle E of the drum 10 is provided with studs or irregularities a on which bears a reciprocating rod -K-- held to the sides of the hopper shell, and connected in any suitable manner with the plates -12- as by pins pass- ,ing through the side of the hopper as shown in Fig. 5, so that as the axle or shaft -E- is rotated it will cause vibratory movement of said rod -K- and corresponding agitation of thevplates -12- so as to cause vthe tags thereon to fall onto said drum 10 on the upper side of which bears a supplemental drum -N- which is designed to cause such part of the tagsas fall onthe drum 10 with their prongs down to bevengaged with the perfora tions in said drum 10 and be carried around with it in its revolution, though the tags which fall onto said drum with their prongs up will be simply carried around to a point ony the circumference thereof from whence they will drop into the auxiliary receiving hopper -N"-, from whence they may be `again fed to the main hopper and sent through to'cause them to engage with said drum l0.

Assuming the tags to be held by the drum 10 with their prongs engaged therewith it will be seen that they are carried around to the lower side thereof, at Which point the in'- Vner roll ,-0- held within said drum lO will bear on said prongs and expel the same from said drum 10 from which they fall into the inclined chute -R-, down which they fall by gravity, being guided by the way l5- which is provided so as to project up above the bottom just sufficient to engage the prongs so as to arrange the tags with their prongs in IOO a uniform line and secure better results and appearance when placed on the plugs of to bacco.

Arranged on the chute R- is a series of pins or stops actuated by an electro magnet so as to stop the progress of the down coming tags when desired, the operation of which will be hereinafter more fully set forth. Below the chute I provide a shaft -A- which carries a series of magnets G which are preferably permanent magnets provided with'a demagnetizing coil so as to permit said magnets being demagnetized at times when occasion requires, and said magnets are connected directly to the shaft, or they are set in the face of disks F secured to the same so as to project therefrom, so as to travel in close proximity to the mouth of the chute -R- so as to draw therefrom and carry away any tags which may be at the mouth thereof.

The magnets -G- may be permanentmagnets, provided with the demagnetizing coil or not as may be found desirable, or they may be electro magnets in a closed circuit which may be broken at such time as it is desired to release the tags therefrom, either arrangement being within the spirit of my invention. I prefer, however, to use permanent magnets which are provided with the demagnetizing coil for economy, and have the circuit normally broken and only closed at such time as it is desired to release the tin-tag from the same, and to that end I provide the disks F preferably of non-conducting material, orinsulated at the point of securing said magnet stems thereto, and secure the magnets to the peripheral face thereof, connect one pole of the battery through the electro magnet 3 to the tag-chute, run the wire from thence to a contact spring -5- which is held by the frame A- so as to bear normally on the insulating material of the contact collar -`6, shownin detail at Fig. 9, and so arrange the contact points set in said collar that they will correspond in number with the number of magnets held around the circumferential face of the disks -F so that asany one of said disks reaches a point vertically below the axis of the shaft -A- the circuit will be closed and the lowest magnet will be demagnetized, the electro-magnet will be energized, the tag on the lowest magnet will be released, and the stop device on the tag-chute will be actuated and a tag released and permitted to be attracted by the magnet at the top side of the disks and carried by it to a point at the lower side where it will in turn be released in the same manner as those which have gone before it.

It will be observed that I provide a carrying belt -B upon which the plugs of tobacco are laid to be carried under the magnet disks, and a supplemental table is provided at a point where the pressure occurs so as to lend suitable support for the plugs at the time when the tags are about to be forced into the plugimmediately below the axial line of the shaft A- so that, as a tag is carried to that point byits carrying magnet it will be met by the plug of tobacco and the pressure incident to its contact is designed to secure the tag to said plug.

Unless some device were provided to retard the downward progress of tags fed from the separating hopper to the chute -R- there would be no certainty of the tags remaining in proper position to be taken up by the magnets in their travel past the mouth of the said chute` and for the purpose of securing a regular feed I provide the pivoted levers -T- T- normally held down at their extreme ends by the two springs -1 -y-, at which point are pins entering the open topped chute -R- so as to hold the tags which may lie in the path of said pins, but when the circuit is closed it will be seen that the electrol magnet willovercome the tension of the spring and raise the two end pins permitting a tag to drop from the open mouth of the chute onto the magnet which is at the time in proximity thereto, at the same time opening the way for movement of the advancing column of tags above the top pin so as to permit another tag to fall to such position that it will be engaged by said top pin -uon again breaking the circuit, which occurs as soon as the lower magnet passes the point vertically below the axis of the shaft A-, when the springs gjagain exert their influence, draw down the two end pins tt-- and hold two tagsone of which is the tag which was at first held by the top pin, and another of which is a tag advanced from the column in the chute above.

It will be noted that where a tag is held by the top pin -uwhen the springs are exerting their force without the magnet it will be caused to fall to a point where it will strike the middle pin -uwhen the magnet is exerting its energy, and as soon as the circuit is broken it will fall from thence to the lowest pin u where it will be held until the circuit is again closed at which time said third pin is in its elevated position and permits the tag to fall onto the magnet immediately beneath. In the mean time the tag which was at first held by the top pin falls the distance to the middle pin where it is in turn held only while the circuit is closed, and runs down the incline to the last pin as soon as it is broken, at which time the top pin grasps a tag at the point whereit enters the chute and holds it ready to be advanced in rotation as needed.

To secure uniformity of feed I provide the pivoted lever -Tm with a sliding collar or clip 1I which carries the top pin so that the same may be adjusted lengthwise of said lever to accommodate different sizes of tags to be fed through the chute, this collar being set nearer the end of the lever T to feed larger tags and brought nearer the pivotal point for smaller tags, according to the size.

The hereinbefore described machine and connections are to be used where a series of permanent magnets without demagnetizing IOO IIO

In the event that the feed of the drum l0 and its connections is too rapidI use the foot f lever -31- or treadle to raise the rod -K- and rolls -N-N- and stop the flow of tags through said separator, holding down the treadle -3 l only sufficient time to partially exhaust the tags in the chute -l-R-, the rolls and rod being connected to said treadle by means of the pivoted levers -L-L- and cable -P, running over the pulleys -10 secured to the frame.

I show the two sides of the chute -R- as I nd it essential that the bottom shall be so constructed that observation, of the tags running through, will be permitted and in the event of a tag entering said chute with its prongs down it will be apparent and may be removed by sliding it back and up through the overlapping sections of said chute, while the top of the chute is preferably open so the operator may determine the rate of feed through the same and if his tags are coming with the prongs properly arranged to enter the plug to best advantage.

It will be observed that there are two guide plates -16- at the top side of the chute, between which the opening -15- is provided, and that said guide plates are beveled 0E at the upper ends to nothing so as to insure the tag entering the said channel 15 with their prongs held within said channel so as to secure uniformity in arrangement of the tags when secured to the plugs.

Where it is desirable to use electro-magnets in place of the permanent magnets it will be only necessary to so arrange the commutator and brushes as to keep the magnets in circuit from the time when they approach nearto the chute -R- to the time when they are vertically below the axis of the axle or shaft -A-, carrying the disks -F- and so connect to the electro-magnet -13- as to energize it at the times when the magnets -G- approach the end of the chute -R-.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a machine of the described class, a hopper, agitator plates therein, a perforated drum below said plates, a bearing roll normally pressing against the exterior of said perforated drum, an agitator rod arranged to agitate one or more of said plates at one end and bearing on the axle of said reticulated or perforated drum at the other4 end, in combination with means for raising said bearing roll and agitator rod, all combined substantially as specified.

2. In amachine of the describedclass, a hopper, a reticulated or perforated drum revoluble beneath said hopper, a chute extending downwardly from said drum, a, pivoted stop lever provided with two or more downwardly projecting pins extending into said chute, in combination with a series of magnets revoluble on an axis beneath said chute, and means for operating said stop lever at predetermined times, all combined substantially as specified.

3. In a machine of the described class, a hopper, a chute communicating therewith, a stop in said chute, a series of magnets revoluble on an axis in convenient proximity therewith and a plug carrying belt adapted to carry plugs into proximity with said magnets, all combined substantially as specified.

4:. In a machine of the described class, a hopper provided with a series of agitators,.a reticulated or perforated drum revoluble beneath said hopper, a chute communicating with said hopper at one end, a-series of magnets revoluble abouta fixed axis in proximity with the opposite end of said chute, and a plug conveying belt suitably supported in proximity with said magnets, all combined substantially as specified.

5. In a machine of the described class, a plug conveying belt, a series of magnets revolubleon a xed axis in convenient proximity with said belt, a tag chute provided with one or more electrically operated stops, and an electro magnet for operating said stops at predetermined times, all combined substantially as specified.

6. Ina machine of the described class a hopper, a tag chute leading therefrom, a pivoted stop lever near the mouth of saidichute, pins connected to said lever entering said chute, an electro magnet actuating said lever at predetermined times, magnets revoluble in proximity with the mouth of said chute and a conveying belt adapted to carry plugs into the path of travel of said revoluble magnets, substantially as specified.

7. In a machine of the described class, a hopper separating-means therein, a chute leading therefrom, a plug carrying belt, a series of magnets carried into proximity with said-belt and the mouth of said chute and an electrically operated stop in said chute, all combined substantially as specified.

8. In a machine of the described class, a hopper, a reticulated or perforated drum revoluble beneath the same, a tag conveying chute leading therefrom, an electrically operated stop in the line of travel through said chute, permanent magnets revoluble on a Iixed axis below said chute, a .plug carrying belt, and means for operating said electrically operated stop and demagnetizing said permanent magnets at predetermined times, all combined substantially as specified. f

9. Ina machine of the described class,ahop per, a reticulated or perforated drum revoluble beneath the same, a chute leading there# from, a series of magnets adjustable in their relative distance apart, an electrically operated stop in said chute and means for releas- Soi ing said stop when each magnet of the series tobacco, a plug carrying means, a tag chute reaches a predetermined point, all combined and a magnet and means for moving the same substantially as specified. forreeeiving the tags from the chute and carry- 10. In a machine for attaching tags to plug ing them to the plugs, all in combination. 5 tobacco, a plug carrying means, a tag chute, In testimony whereof I have hereunto set r 5 an automatically operated stop'therein, and a my hand this 12th day of May, 1892.

magnet movable on a fixed axis in convenient WILLIAM B. MUN NELL. proximity with said plug carrying means and Witnesses: the mouth of said chute, all in combination. NEWTON G. ROGERS,

ro 1l. In a machine for attaching tags to plug IVALTER DURBY. 

